There was an eruption of cheers when Mary Wayte stepped up to the microphone at the Mercer Island pool bearing her name on the afternoon of Jan. 30.
Moments earlier, the crowd watched Wayte’s epic gold medal-winning 200-meter freestyle race at the 1984 Summer Olympics on the big screen. People applauded as she swam — and Wayte teared up.
The former Islander, who now resides in Seattle, was back in town to attend the Mercer Island School District (MISD) Mary Wayte Pool Renovation Celebration that also featured speeches from Mercer Island High School athletes, MISD Superintendent Fred Rundle, Mercer Island Mayor David Rosenbaum, MISD capital projects team member Brandy Fox, Olympic Cascade Aquatics owner and coach Alice Godfred and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci.
“If ever there was a building that loved the people who walked through its doors, it’s this pool,” said Wayte, who began swimming at the facility when she was 9 years old. “To be able to be here at the pool, it’s not just a place to train, it’s a place where the community believes in you and wants you to succeed.”
Never in her wildest dreams would she imagine that the pool would someday be named after her, said Wayte, who also won a gold in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay (preliminary heat) at the 1984 summer games in Los Angeles. At the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Wayte earned a silver medal in the 4×100-meter medley relay and a bronze in the 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
Wayte brought three of those medals to display at the event.
According to MISD, $2 million from its community funded 2021 Capital and Technology Levy and a $2 million King County grant have facilitated major upgrades to the pool. Renovations include: replacement of the diving board; ADA pool access chairs and various pool accessories; new exit doors and hardware; pool bowl resurfacing; locker room upgrades and more.
“Today is a celebration. It’s about our students, it’s about our district and it’s also about our community,” Rundle said.
Godfred added: “What I’ve learned over the years is that a pool is much more than championships and records. This community is special — the love of aquatics runs deep.”
Fox said that it’s been a great pleasure to witness the renovations come to fruition and thanked Tony Kuhn — the district’s director of maintenance, operations and transportation — for partnering with her every step of the way on this project.
On the athlete front, swimmer and water polo player Marissa Frame said the latter sport is “where I found my voice, my confidence and my drive” while competing at the local pool.
Balducci said that swimming is special for people of all ages, adding that, “It is for excellence, it is for safety, so people know how to swim in this area where we have so much water.”
Rosenbaum thanked all the people who put in tons of work on the project and said he knows it will be a huge benefit to the community going forward.
Top: Mary Wayte speaks at the pool renovation celebration event on Jan. 30. At bottom are speakers Fred Rundle, Brandy Fox and Alice Godfred. Andy Nystrom/ staff photos
